My LHN chart win from Clare

Last month, Clare (Aimetu's Stitching) held a cake bake for Multiple Sclerosis. Sadly I don't live close enough to order a cake but Clare offered LHN's Baked Goods in an online raffle to those who made a donation. I'm pleased to say that I won and Clare raised £300 for the charity.

Thank you for this chart Clare, I'm looking forward to stitching it.

When the cows come home

Or in this case when Lizzie Kate's 'Midnight Cow' comes home. Now that I have a short term work contract until the end of July, very little stitching will be done. Therefore my Alpine Seasons Garden has been put away until August as I don't like working on it in short bursts (one hour or less).

As a result, this Lizzie Kate design is perfect for travelling with me so that I have something to hand if I feel like stitching in the evenings. Based on recent experience, I am quite tired in the evenings, so it is more likely that I will content myself with reading during the week instead of stitching.

I hope that you are getting more stitching time than I am at the moment.

Midnight Cow - Lizzie Kate
stitched on 28ct Jobelan Dark Red
using recommended Sampler Threads and DMC

101 Magpie Line

A friend sent me a video link of Janie Hubble describing her vision of an emporium for stitchers. I found it interesting and thought I would share the link to 101 Magpie Line. Below the video, there is also a link to a survey where you can share your thoughts with Janie Hubble to help her develop this concept.

It's May Day

Traditionally, lily of the valley is sold everywhere on streets in France on the first of May and is one of the symbols of springtime and of good luck.

I haven't stitched any lily of the valley designs (yet) but I fancied a quick and easy project yesterday so I made this small card needle holder and I'm pleased with the result. 

Card Needle holder - closed
Heirloom Wedding Sampler free pattern
- Victoria Sampler
Stitched on 28ct Cashel, colour unknown with DMC 842

Card Needle holder - open

I used this free design from The Victoria Sampler as the 23H x 23W stitch design was the perfect size. 

This idea is not mine. I received one of these as a Christmas exchange gift in 2013 and have copied the idea.

One, Two, Three ...

That's the number of pieces I've worked on during the past week and I think it is my limit for the number of different projects  I can work on in a given week. When I start something, I just want to work on it to the exclusion of anything else.

Some more progress on Alpine Seasons Garden:

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
stitched on 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki linen with recommended threads

with a close-up of the corner. There is some metallic thread in this section and  I love the way it catches the light.

I've finished the base of the basket and have started to fill in the bowl on Bluebird Thread Keeper. I am doing this as part of the Blackbird Designs SAL at Needlecraft Haven.

Bluebird Thread Keeper - Blackbird Designs
stitched on 32ct unbleached natural linen using suggested DMC threads

Finally, the rear end of Midnight Cow by Lizzie Kate. This is my sewing group project, so I will only be working on it twice a month. As it is a relatively straightforward design, I have this idea that I will be able to talk and stitch without making too many errors. Well, one can but hope. :)

Midnight Cow - Lizzie Kate
stitched on 28ct Jobelan Dark Red using recommended threads

A chicken pincushion in cross stitch

My sewing group seem to have a 'thing' about chickens. For the past three months, most of the group have been making a project sized zipped bag in the shape of a chicken. We've previously made chicken pincushions and keyrings. Having missed the first week of the project, I decided to give making the zipped bag a miss.

However, I recently came across this free design (scroll down the page) from Creative Workshops from Hetti for a humbug chicken and stitched it for our next meeting on Thursday. My beads are smaller than I would have liked but I decided to go for a right colour and wrong size combination rather than the right size but with the wrong colour for the design. I think this cross stitched chicken pincushion will be popular.

Chicken Humbug - Creative Workshops from Hetti
stitched on a 28ct light Taupe-like evenweave with unknown fils à SoSo thread

A Stitcher's Day Exchange and progress on Alpine Seasons Garden

The Friendly Stitchers forum recently had a Stitcher's Day Exchange and I received my stitching exchange from Mouse on Saturday. She sent me this beautiful ornament, fabric, ribbon and scissors. I've attached my latest scissor fob to these pink polka dot scissors as they go so well together.

Stitcher's Day Exchange from Mouse

In return I sent Mouse this hanging ornament which has a pocket on the back to hold needles and/or scissors as well as two skeins of thread and a packet of Bohin needles. I like this free design from Glory Bee.

Stitching Days - Glory Bee Designs
Stitched for Mouse for Stitcher's Day Exchange

Reverse of stitched ornament for Mouse.
Pocket added to hold packet of needles and/or scissors

 I'm expecting slow progress on this next section of Alpine Seasons Garden. It is solid cross stitch with a lot of thread changes. I only managed to stitch most of the bottom right hand corner over the weekend.

Alpine Seasons Garden - Chatelaine
Stitched on 32ct Belfast Summer Khaki linen with recommended threads
Progress as at 12 April 2015

The sun is out, so if I go and finish the housework now, I might get some time to sit outside and read this afternoon.

A mini scissor fob

Back in January/February, I stitched Just Nan's 'Tiny Beaded Heart' but until now, I didn't finish it. Last week, I finally made it into a scissor fob. So after adding a little heart on the reverse side of the fob, here it is.

Tiny Beaded Heart - Just Nan
stitched on 28ct Cashel linen

Reverse of scissor fob with small cross-stitched heart

If I were to stitch this again, I would add a backstitch border around the heart (4-6 threads out from the design) before stitching the two sides together as it would frame the design and make the fob a little larger.

Easter Exchange

I took part in the Needlecraft Haven Easter Exchange again this year. Like last year, participants had to stitch an Easter card and stitch an egg shaped ornament. I found this lovely free design from Passione Ricamo for the egg ornament and stitched this design from Primitive Acorns after seeing it on Carin's blog, which I sent to Dusty.

Easter Lamb - Primitive Acorns stitched 1 over 1 on 28ct Natural linen
Easter 2012 - Passione Ricamo stitched on 28ct Natural linen

I received my card and ornament exchange from Lindsay. She also included a packet of Bassett's Jelly Bunnies, which I admit didn't last beyond Easter Sunday. That's what happens when you have a sweet tooth like me. I didn't eat them all myself, they were shared with my husband!

Nevermore ...

Well that's how I feel after stitching this double-sided key fob on 28ct evenweave, 1 over 1. I didn't really enjoy it and if it hadn't been for a little seven year old girl who loves all things 'Frozen', I would have put it to one side and never looked at it again.

However, an aunt's love knows no bounds and it is now in the post to her. I just hope that she hasn't switched her affiliation to Cinderella before it arrives.
 

Elsa - Crafty Guild
stitched on 28ct white evenweave

Anna - Crafty Guild
stitched on 28ct white evenweave

Finishes

Well, I finally made myself sit down and finish off some stitched projects. It was a slow process but I got there in the end. Two of these I can't show yet as they are for exchanges but the other two I can as they have been received.

First up is my double sided ornament of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. These were free mini projects from the Crafty Guild. I knew I had to finish these, sooner rather than later, as the tastes of a 2 year old girl can change quickly. Thankfully, Disney's Frozen is still popular.

Else - Crafty Guild
stitched on 28ct white evenweave

Anna - Crafty Guild
stitched on 28ct white evenweave

It was the birthday of a dear friend during the week so I stitched Lizzie Kate's 'Dogs leave paw prints'. This is the third time I've stitched this, so I think most of my dog loving family and friends have now got one. 

Dogs leave paw prints - Lizzie Kate
stitched on 28ct Permin Sandstone

Since it was St Patrick's Day last Tuesday, I baked a Porter Cake for my sewing group which met on Thursday. Most of the ladies were surprised to be served a cake which included Guinness but it was successful. Everyone took a second piece of the cake as well as a copy of the recipe I had used. Since I don't often bake, I was very pleased that they liked it. No photo of the cake as I never thought to take one.

I'm away for a few days next week but when I get back, I will be stitching on Alpine Seasons Garden again. It has been neglected during the past two months.

Slow but Sure

I think that is probably the best way to describe my stitching at the present time - slow but sure. Well, it is certainly slow.

I've stitched some more on my BBD as part of the Needlecraft Haven SAL. I'm looking forward to finishing this as a small stocking.

Joyeux Noel - Blackbird Designs
stitched on 28ct Cashel Platinum

At my sewing group, I'm working on this kit from Shepherd's Bush, Peace and Plenty. Given that we talk as much as we stitch, I am not working quickly on this one.

Peace and Plenty - Shepherd's Bush kit

Later in the week I will spend a day finishing my stitched finishes. Among various things that I could complete, my priority will be my two exchange pieces - the stitching is done, they just need to be made into something!

I follow some wonderful blogs but today I'd like to mention 'Stitches by Carin'. I've only recently discovered this blog and she has the most beautiful finishes. I will be looking at them in the future for inspiration on how to finish my stitching.